COLLEGE RETENTION PLAN



COLLEGE RETENTION PLAN

Institutional Priorities and 3-5 Year Goals

Introduction

The Institutional Priorities enumerated in the strategic plan formed the basis for the 3-5 Year Goals which follow. These are intended to provide the overall focus and direction for the college’s retention efforts. Each campus, primarily through the efforts of its Enrollment Management Committee, should use the appropriate priorities and 3-5 year goals as the framework for developing a campus retention plan and related activities. The campus plans integrate the many retention efforts currently underway on each campus with a series of campus-specific action plans designed to accomplish the aforementioned goals. Taken together, these campus retention plans and college-wide initiatives will comprise the College Retention Plan.

|3-5 YEAR GOALS | |2004-2009 INITIATIVES |

|I. ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT | | |

| A. Academic Preparedness | | |

| 1. Continue reviewing the testing and placement process to ensure that all students | |VPAA and SA: The committee has been re-assembled. The membership has been chosen to create college-wide |

|are adequately prepared for their chosen program. | |representation. |

|Responsible Area: | | |

|VPSA and SA; Institutional Effectiveness | | |

|Provide continuing faculty and Student Services personnel development | |VPAA and SA: Retreat dates have been established to enhance overall performance of both faculty and |

|Opportunities in working with and identifying “at risk” students. | |student services personnel through professional development across all student issues. |

|Responsible Area: | | |

|VPAA and SA | | |

| 3. Evaluate the effectiveness of the developmental studies program, incorporating | |Continue to support, expand, and assess the “College Success” model for students requiring two or more |

|changes for improvement as appropriate. | |developmental courses. |

|Responsible Area: | | |

|Developmental Studies Committee | | |

| B. Course and Program Retention | | |

| 1. Systematically review the student completion rate in individual courses and | |Re-institute letter of encouragement to “one semester” drop out students. Registration date and |

|programs to identify areas which need further attention. | |advisement letter. |

|2. Develop and support communications plan to assist drop in/drop out students with | |Initiated a faculty campaign to promote registration for spring semester of students enrolled in fall and|

|appropriate registration information. | |not pre-registered for spring. This will be ongoing. |

|3. Enhance the pre-priority registration and past priority communications plan. | |Expanded hours of operation for all offices engaged in enrollment activities |

|Responsible Area: | | |

|Deans of SA and EM | | |

| C. Graduation and Goal Completion | | |

| 1. Evaluate the extent to which students accomplish their stated educational goals | | |

|(i.e., their reasons for attending Suffolk). | | |

|Responsible Area: | | |

|Institutional Effectiveness | | |

|Promote the value of receiving the associate’s degree both in the career and transfer | |College Registrar: Will include benefits of graduating with the Associate’s degree in additional |

|programs. | |communications to current students (i.e. college briefs, web announcements) concerning graduation |

|Responsible Area: | |procedures. |

|Dean of EM | | |

|Campus Enrollment Management Committee | | |

| D. Academic Climate | | |

| 1. Support faculty efforts to promote civil and mutually respectful behavior in the | | |

|classroom. | |EM-G: As part of January and August new student orientation, Guidelines for Student Classroom Behavior |

|Responsible Area: Campus | |were distributed and discussed. These were also distributed through the counseling center during most of |

|Enrollment Management Committees | |the summer enrollment period. A workshop has been scheduled for enrollment services support staff on |

|Dean of Student Services | |dealing with difficult people. It will be facilitated by Kirschner and Bergen this spring. |

| | | |

| | |EM-E: The Dean of Faculty addressed the importance of civility and mutual respect on the part of faculty |

| | |as well as students in the spring adjunct faculty meeting. |

| | | |

| | |EM-A: This topic was addressed during New Student Orientation in the form of both a student skit and |

| | |then later discussed in small groups. The topic of Academic Climate is also an area of discussion in the|

| | |Freshmen seminar class. |

| E. Academic Policy | | |

| 1. Continue reviewing academic policies to ensure that they promote student learning| |VPAA and SA: |

|and success. | |Initiated transition to new 6 digit course numbering system; currently reviewing course pre-requisites |

|Responsible Area: Academic | |and placement of courses within each program of study for inclusion in the BANNER project; reviewed and |

|Planning Committee | |revamped courses to align with SUNY general education requirements. |

| | | |

| | | |

|2. Ensure that academic scheduling enables students to get the courses they need to | |College-wide: Initiated the first phase of this project: an early draft of the master schedule was |

|complete a degree in a timely manner. | |provided to Student Services for review and refinement by College Associate Dean for Planning and College|

|Responsible Area: Campus | |Master Scheduling. Student Services input will be a continuing factor in master schedule preparation. |

|Enrollment Management Committees | | |

|Deans of Faculty/Academic Chairs/ | | |

|Campus Deans | | |

| F. Academic Integration | | |

| 1. Promote and support efforts which foster students' involvement with faculty and | |EM-G: Completed planning to create new student advisement groups, by curriculum, in order to combine new |

|identification with their program areas. | |student advisement with curricular, course and career specific presentation elements. Set up outreach |

|Responsible Area: Campus | |advisement tables in the Sagtikos building lobby staffed by counselors and teaching faculty. Will |

|Enrollment Management Committees | |conduct “advisement days” on April 24 and 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. to provide opportunity for students|

|Academic Chairs/Campus Deans | |who have not registered to obtain advisement help, choose courses and register, all from one location in |

| | |Sagtikos lobby. This will be promoted through faculty announcements in classes and other means. Staffed|

| | |by faculty volunteers and student services personnel. |

| | |EM-E: continued an outreach table during lunch hours and added evening hours from 5 to 8 p.m. staffed by |

| | |faculty and student services personnel throughout priority registration. |

| | | |

| | |EM-E and EM-A: increased visibility of Registration Outreach to academic buildings during priority |

| | |registration by purchasing and installing material racks and filling these with registration information |

| | |and forms. |

|II. COLLEGE and CAMPUS ENVIRONMENT | | |

| A. Student-Centered Climate | | |

| 1. Continue emphasizing a student-centered approach to service delivery through | |EM-A: The Admissions Office has established evening hours in order to assist evening, working students |

|implementation of the Enrollment Management Calendar and personal follow-up contacts with | |and anyone else who can only come to the Admissions Office after 5 p.m. Admissions Counselors work |

|students. | |closely with College Success Students and other first-time students in order to create a smooth |

|Responsible Area: | |transition to SCCC. |

|Dean of Students, Dean of Enrollment Management, Campus Enrollment Management Committees | |College-wide: during peak enrollment periods, students are encouraged to seek advising and counseling on |

| | |a “walk-in” basis to facilitate ease of enrollment. |

| 2. Enhance assistance to students with the registration process | |All Campuses and Central Enrollment Management and Student Services: Encourage student registrations |

|Responsible Area: | |through an organized series of written, electronic and oral communications, especially telephone |

|Dean of Students, Dean of Enrollment Management, Campus Enrollment Management Committees | |encouragement. |

| B. Institutional Policies, Procedures, Systems, and Services | | |

| 1. Review institutional policies, procedures, systems and services in order to remove | |EM-G: Established a joint meeting with academic and department chairs and enrollment management |

|unnecessary barriers and promote retention and goal completion. | |representatives to establish better communication. This has continued this academic year as an on-going |

|Responsible Area: | |effort to promote enhanced communication. |

|College Enrollment Management Committee | |Deans of EM and SA: continuing enhancement to online services for the College’s website including |

|Campus Enrollment Management Committees | |registration, applying for graduation, official transcript requests, change of address, scholarship |

| | |search, and reporting barriers for disabled students; initial planning to add Cashier section to the |

| | |Enrollment Services website; implemented financial aid warning system to notify students on their |

| | |schedule, bill, and SAIN whenever a course is ineligible for financial aid; implemented new policies and |

| | |procedures to graduate eligible students who have not filed for graduation, and encourage students |

| | |lacking 1-2 courses to transfer in needed courses; developed a Student Complaint Procedure. |

| 2. Develop and implement a comprehensive orientation program for all new employees. | |HR: a new extended employee orientation program was implemented in order to communicate the mission, |

|Responsible Area: | |values and policies of the College and assist new employees in their transition to the SCCC culture. |

|Human Resources | | |

| C. Physical Facilities | | |

| 1. Ensure that each campus provides a welcoming environment in which all areas and | |EM-G: Campus signage for parking, buildings and offices has been updated and improved. |

|buildings are accessible and easy to locate. | |EM-A: campus signage has been replaced as budget permits and is continuing. |

|Responsible Area: | |EM-E: created a campus directory at the campus main entrance; cafeteria lighting was updated and |

|Associate Vice President Campus Affairs; | |improved. |

|Campus Enrollment Management Committees | | |

| 2. Support the learning environment through facilities which are clean, safe, | |EM-A: Screens have been added to classrooms and offices. |

|well-equipped, and properly furnished. | |EM-E: Completed assessment of additional campus lighting needs. Implementation will be initiated and |

|Responsible Area: Campus | |continue through Fall 2006. |

|Enrollment Management Committees | | |

|Associate Vice President for Campus Affairs | | |

|STUDENT LIFE/STUDENT SERVICES | | |

| A. Student Climate/Social Integration | | |

| 1. Promote and support efforts which help students establish personal bonds among | |Deans of E.M. and S.A. Welcome communication (calling) to all new students within the first 3 weeks of |

|themselves as well as with faculty, staff, and administrators. | |the semester. |

|Responsible Area: Campus | |Will establish a calling center for use in delivering specific recruitment and retention messages to |

|Enrollment Management Committees | |students. |

|Deans of SS and EM | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

|2. Enhance school spirit and pride in being a student at Suffolk County Community College.| |EM-A: initial efforts were made to establish students’ interaction with high school alma maters. |

| | | |

|Responsible Area: Campus | | |

|Enrollment Management Committees | | |

|Continue to promote and support an appreciation of cultural diversity in order to enhance a | |All Campuses: established a Director of Multi-cultural Affairs on each campus. |

|sense of belonging. | | |

|Responsible Area: Campus | | |

|Enrollment Management Committees | | |

|4. Enhance the sense of community within each campus and with the college as a whole. | |EM-E Financial Aid Outreach. During Priority Registration, an Outreach table was set up in the cafeteria|

|Responsible Area: Campus | |to encourage students to file their FA forms. |

|Enrollment Management Committees | |EM-E Promote Honor Societies: Alpha Beta Gamma (Business Honors) Phi Theta Kappa (LA Honor Society) |

| | |Alpha Sigma Lambda (Honor Society for returning adults). |

| | |EM-E Honors Program Information Meeting. A meeting inviting prospective honor students to learn more |

| | |about the program |

|4. Assist student with career development. | |EM- E Career Development Week – A week long series of events related to careers and career exploration |

|Responsible Area: Campus | |was initiated. |

|Career Services | | |

| B. Student Services | | |

| 1. Continue to develop new programs and services to promote student success, | |EM-G: established a group of volunteer faculty to pilot a program to identify and contact “struggling” |

|especially with high-risk populations. | |students with the goal of assisting or referring them; assigned 103-limited program students to F/T |

|Responsible Area: Campus | |counselors and developmental studies faculty. For fall 2005/spring 2006 counselors contacted all |

|Enrollment Management Committees | |FTL-coded students to make an appointment to discuss academic/career goals and to plan academic schedule |

|Deans of Student Services | |for next semester. |

|Dean of Enrollment Management | |EM-A: developed a pilot program to identify high-risk students in OS 20; created an outreach workshop |

| | |given by volunteer faculty (Reaching Academic Potential) and invited the students to attend. |

| | |Dean of Student Services: |

| | |Student Support Services grant was renewed (i.e., provides tutoring, advisement, peer mentoring, skills |

| | |workshops, etc.); enhancements to the new web sites for Student Support Services and EOP were completed. |

| | |Dean of E.M. and Director of Publications: with program liaisons, created a new publication, “Student |

| | |Success,” which promotes College Success, TRIO, and EOP programs. |

| | | |

|2. Continue implementing the recommendations and plans to improve the academic advising | |EM-G: Cooperated with Suffolk Federal Credit Union to install cyber lounge; offered early academic |

|system. | |orientation for lacrosse team and any other interested athletes. |

|Responsible Area: | |EM-A: Installed computers for student use for registration and portal activities in lobby of |

|VP AA and SA | |administration building. In cooperation with Suffolk Federal Credit Union, installed a cyber lounge in |

|Associate Deans of Student Services | |renovated student center. |

| | |EM-E: Installing a cyber lounge for student use and access. |

| | |Student Services division: initiated a review of existing policy that requires an adviser’s signature for|

| | |designated high risk groups; enhanced Counseling and Advising web site to include updates of curriculum |

| | |worksheets, addition of worksheets for SUNY General Education Requirements and NYS 24 crs. High School |

| | |Equivalency Diploma. |

| 3. Develop and implement an "early warning system" which identifies students in danger| |EM-G: See B.1. |

|of dropping out and/or failing and provides appropriate interventions (jointly with Academic| |EM-A: created an e-mail list of all adjunct and f/t faculty for ease of reporting. |

|Affairs). | | |

|Responsible Area: Campus | | |

|Enrollment Management Committees | | |

|Associate Deans of Student Services | | |

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download